The Count Counters...

From UFC.com Michael "The Count" Bisping counters in response to Rashad Evans' fightin' words leading up to UFC 78: Validation.

The ‘Count’Down – Week Three

By Michael Bisping

Hi everyone. This week I’m going to focus this whole thing on talking to Rashad directly, after his hilarious and slightly puzzling blog on UFC.com two days ago. Enjoy!

Rashad, I’m glad you’ve got an English guy in camp so he can tell you what I mean when I say your last blog was complete bollocks.

At the risk of taking it to the “He said, she said” level - you threw the first rotten egg, mate. You did the video on UFC.com blasting me as a fighter and insinuating you shouldn’t even have to fight me. Then your blog on Wednesday went completely over the top, making this fight a little personal when it is really about two undefeated fighters trying to move up the division.

I extended you nothing but respect, all I did was predict a win for myself and did a few one-liners about a knockout (it is called selling a fight, Rashad) which I even added the smiley face ;-) to make sure everyone knew it was just “fighting hype talk” and not to be taken seriously.

But thanks for giving me a look inside your head with your little rant. It was very interesting indeed, not to mention laugh out loud funny in places. I don’t know if Joe Rogan is looking for an opening act for his comedy gigs, but your blog is a hell of an audition piece if he is.

You kept on about all these disrespectful things I’d said, but he never once gave an example. And such big fighting words from such a short man, Rashad! Very funny.

What’s hilarious is that you are throwing all these threats around as if you expect anyone to take them seriously. Sorry, we’ve heard it all before, Rashad. We heard it ever since you were on TUF 2, that this time you’re gonna go all out, this time you are going to bring it, this time you will put all this pressure on, this time you’ll push yourself etc.

We especially heard it before your fight with Tito Ortiz. That’s the immense pressure you are bringing to our fight? This is the same smack talk you said last time. It was complete bollocks then and I think it is complete bollocks now.

You must think people have very short memories. Tito Ortiz said some extremely disrespectful and unpleasant things about you, and yet instead you still fought that fight without much aggression for two of the three rounds.

I see more aggression from my girlfriend when she hits the January sales than you showed in the Tito fight.

But what wasn’t so funny about your last blog, least of all for UFC fans, was your promise of making sure this fight goes the distance!

I am sure a lot of fans will be gutted that you’re not breaking your tradition of a lifetime and are once again planning on going the distance for a decision win. Punish me for three rounds? You’ve punished the fans enough with your lay and pray antics for 15 minutes at a time. Surely they’ve suffered enough?

It was also interesting how you went out of your way to list your big name training partners, as if that was going to intimidate me or impress me. But then I thought about it and realised you are actually trying to impress yourself most of all.

Rashad, I don’t need to surround myself with big name training partners to push myself hard in the gym, and I certainly don’t need them around to give myself confidence. I’ve had my medicals and my heart-rate is at 39bmp – I’m a cardio machine for this fight.

You can train with the biggest names in the world, but on the night it is just me and you. However, for your information, I am training with an Olympic champion boxer as well top wrestlers and BJJ specialists at the Wolf’s Lair. Every major name who trains at the Wolf’s Lair – and there have been a load of them – is always blown away by the standard in the gym.

And the problem with having a big camp Rashad, is that people in this sport talk, and from what I’ve heard you weren’t in shape even four weeks ago. I’ve also heard that you didn’t even want this fight until the New Year, that mentally you were done for 2007 and just wanted to spend time chilling out.

Reading your blog, it seems like you’re not enjoying this camp either, and you will enjoy the fight even less, especially if you are out of shape. You’ve been on UFC.com saying you’ve had a great camp with great training partners – so, please, no excuses after the fight.

Your last few lines were comedy gold. Pressure I’ve never felt before? You mean your bodyweight during three rounds lay and pray? Not going to happen, pal.

See you next week, Rashad!

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